Another of Rhenus Air & Ocean’s business sites has gained the Good Distribution Practice (GDP) certificate – this time it is the Amsterdam Schiphol gateway. The Dutch headquarters of the air and ocean freight expert at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS) is CEIV Pharma accredited for years and has now also obtained the GDP certification, following the footsteps of the business site at Frankfurt Airport, which obtained this certification in the summer. Thanks to the growing network of GDP-certified branches around the globe, Rhenus Air & Ocean is continually expanding its focus on pharmaceutical logistics as well as the life sciences and healthcare sector.
Amsterdam Airport Schiphol is one of the largest European air freight hubs. Thanks to having GDP certification at its business site there, Rhenus Air & Ocean is fulfilling the EU’s guidelines for good distribution practices for human medicinal products. This certification can only be obtained if all the processes along the supply chain are documented without any gaps and there is a quality management system – and this has been introduced according to the GDP guidelines at Schiphol. By using both measures, Rhenus Air & Ocean is able to control the supply chain for pharmaceutical shipments in order to guarantee the integrity of the medication during transportation, handling and storage.
“The patient’s well-being is the top priority. We, therefore, set ourselves the highest quality standards for our processes at all times. Our uniform procedures, having a compliant supply chain and safeguarding the integrity of the pharmaceutical products are key elements in this process,” says Peter Pasman, the Managing Director at Rhenus Air & Ocean Netherlands. This is also the main reason why the branch in Schiphol has held the CEIV Pharma certification from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) for several years and this has recently been renewed. The gateway, which measures 7,200 square metres, has direct access airside with pharmaceutical-dedicated temperature-controlled areas.
It also offers intelligent unit load device (ULD) handling and extensive security checks. This means that it is able to handle goods quickly and monitor customers’ shipments to a great extent. “We strengthen our global position in the field of life sciences & healthcare by obtaining GDP certification at another Rhenus air gateway within one year. Thanks to providing uniform solutions around the globe, we’re continually enhancing our quality and service standards,” says Stephan Dülk, the Global Head of Life Sciences & Healthcare at Rhenus Air & Ocean.
The logistics specialist, Rhenus, which operates around the world, has been offering industry-specific solutions for the life sciences & healthcare sector for many years. Several business sites already have pharmaceutical production and wholesaler permits. This enables sector-specific solutions and value-added services such as taking samples or repackaging items.
More than 40,000 square metres of warehouse space overall have been certified according to the GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) guidelines for pharmaceuticals. The service portfolio of Rhenus Air & Ocean not only includes temperature-controlled door-to-door transportation of pharmaceutical goods, but also a wide range of industry-designated solutions such as packaging and monitoring service, backed up by in-depth lane risk assessments for sensitive products.
